SOLDIER and the Angel
by WishingDreamer5
Summary: 26 Aerith/Zack moments, from the fall through the ceiling, to the end, where 90 letters were written, using the letters of the alphabet as prompts. -Zack smirked. It marveled him that a simple touch like this one could have such a great impact on her.
1. Angeal

**A/N: I don't own anything of Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core, only this one-shot. I already wrote one for Final Fantasy VIII and Kingdom Hearts and I decided to write one for Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, too. Hope you like! Note that I'm going to change this, making all small drabbles of all letters. Enjoy reading! ;D**

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**A**. **- Angeal**

If **Angeal** hadn't attacked him that one day, and if he hadn't refused to fight back at that time, he would never have met the wonder that was called Aerith Gainsborough in the first place. He still was grateful for that day.

...although he could still feel all the bruises he had got from that fall. His butt still hurt a bit from the contact with the floor, too. Angeal hadn't been quite gentle with him, but then again, he never was. Well, this was the only time he didn't mind it. Besides, getting bruises everyday (without you even knowing how and when you got them in the first place) was part of his job. Heck, one would even be very lucky if he got only bruises, instead of much deeper wounds...and now he was getting off topic.

Zack quickly shook his head.

Maybe he should thank his friend Angeal for what he had done.

Nah. Knowing him, he would constantly attack him and shove him into things, just for the heck of it, if he did so.

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**A/N: This chapter is getting longer, too, eventually. Reviews are more than appreciated! I'll change the other letters as soon as I get some time for it. :)**


	2. Beautiful

**A/N: A special thanks to: TonberryBlue, XxX-SparklingEyes-XxX, Rainechan4ever, ireneotaku, Tarutaru Terror, Angelgirl651, Axrat, Chaos9206, Lilth Vaan, Sairento-shi and ThexGreatxDementedxPanda.**

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**B.** - Beautiful

She had always thought that his eyes were **beautiful. **

They really were. Aerith had never seen such a beautiful shade of blue. They weren't blue like eternal ice that would never ever melt. Nor was it the kind of blue that reminded her of cool water in which you wanted to jump when there was such a hot summer that you couldn't think clearly anymore. No, his eyes were the intense color of forget-me-nots (well, maybe even more beautiful). She loved forget-me-nots. They were her favorite flowers.

All he ever did, though, was joke around about it so he could hear _her_ beautiful laugh once again (So it was a good thing he had a good sense of humor after all, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to pull it off that easily).

She obviously loved his sense of humor just as much as the color of his eyes.

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**A/N: As you may or may not have noticed, I make mistakes in my stories. I'm looking for a beta reader for these one-shots and I would really, really appreciate it if someone would like to beta for me. Reviews are more than appreciated!**


	3. Ceiling

**A/N: A special thanks to: Sairento-shi and Victoria Valentine101, for reviewing and making my day.**

**Enjoy! ;D**

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**C.** - **Ceiling**

Aerith loved it every time Zack came visiting her. It didn't happen that often as first anymore, so she cherished every moment she had with him, you know, before it was too late. He could make her laugh like nobody else could. Even if he didn't say anything sometimes, she just loved to be in his presence. Sometimes, she wondered if this could lead to something more. She sure hoped so deep in her heart.

Often, their conversations would lead them to utterly weird topics and later they would wonder how they had come up with such a subject in the first place. Today was probably no difference, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. After all, how could she _not_ enjoy anything that had to do with the firstclass SOLDIER?

"You know, I'm still wondering why you fell through the **ceiling **and didn't use the door, like normal people would do," she admitted, thoughtfully, while laughing a bit.

Aerith still remembered that day, as if it had happened just yesterday. But then again, Zack was nowhere near normal. That's what she liked so much about him. She didn't say it out loud, though, because she might offend him.

"Well, that's probably because I'm not normal, unlike other people," he replied with a wink.

Aerith blinked a couple of times. She looked at him for a moment, completely dumbfounded. Her emerald green eyes shone brightly, like marbles. Then, she started to laugh, merrily.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly curious by now.

"That's funny. I was just thinking something along the same lines," Aerith replied, truthfully.

Zack raised his dark, thin eyebrows at her.

"Gee, thanks," he said, in a mock-hurt tone.

"Oh, but I still love y-"

The pretty flowergirl stopped in mid-sentence. Her striking green eyes widened instantly, as she realized what she almost had said and she blushed slightly.

"You do?" Zack asked, teasing her.

She didn't reply and swiftly averted her gaze. Suddenly, it looked as though her knees had become the most interesting objects in the church, because she kept staring at them. Aerith didn't expect Zack to grasp her chin gently between his thumb and index finger, slowly turning her head to his direction again.

"That's quite a coincidence. You know why?"

Aerith couldn't look away from those razor sharp eyes. They had never been this close to each other before. In fact, she was only inches away from his young and handsome face. She just shook her head, rather dazed and at a complete loss of words.

"Because I just happen to love you, too," he whispered, before slightly leaning in and noticing that she smelled like lillies.

He quickly made a mental note to buy lillies later, for his room, so he could have her scent all around him every single day.

Meanwhile, the young woman closed the gap between them and Zack kissed her softly on the lips, as her eyes fluttered closed.

Even though Aerith wasn't an angel, she felt like she was flying now, being in cloud nine. She sighed, content, not intending to break that contact, no matter what.

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**A/N: I hadn't planned to use that much fluff. Oh well. ^_^ Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	4. Dream

**A/N: ****Enjoy! ;D**

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**D.** - **Dream**

"So I take it that becoming a first class SOLDIER is your biggest dream?" Aerith asked.

His biggest **dream **was to become a hero, but that didn't mean he actually dreamed about that. There wasn't any place for such dreams anymore. Not since he had met the pretty flowergirl in the church.

Now, Aerith was all Zack could - and wanted to - dream of. Her light brown, slightly curly hair, soft as silk. Her emerald green eyes that reminded him of the brightest marbles. Her oh so soft, rosy pink lips, much like the petals of a young pink rose, in the midst of her beauty...

This made Zack wonder once again, since when had he become so poetic?

Zack shook his head.

"Not quite. I want to be a hero one day. That's my dream," he replied.

"I see," Aerith said, nodding thoughtfully. "Then what's your biggest wish?"

Did she really have to ask that, he wondered.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	5. Else

**A/N: ****Enjoy! ;D**

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**E.** - **Else**

"Okay. Bye," Aerith said, putting on a brave face.

She sighed, wearily.

Every time she called him, he had something **else** on his mind and was too busy to talk to her. She said she didn't mind and he believed her, because he obviously couldn't hear the sad tone in her voice.

From the inside, though, it was slowly killing her. Was she not important enough? Then why did he even spend time with her at all? What did it mean, anyway?

However, all she could do now was just wait. Maybe he would come after he had done his business. SOLDIER were always pretty busy. Aerith was sure that it wasn't something personal.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	6. Flowergirl

**F.** - **Flowergirl**

"Please?" Aerith asked, giving Zack a pleading look that instantly made his heart beat faster.

She clasped her hands together. She tilted her head slightly to the side, which made her look kinda cute. Her vibrant green eyes almost seemed to try to hypnotise him.

Zack sighed, lightly. There was no other way. He gave up.

"Very well, then."

He couldn't even say "no" to her anymore, as if he was scared to hurt her feelings if he did so.

"Thank you!" she said, hugging him tightly.

"Uhm...anytime," Zack replied, rather sheepishly, as he returned the hug, wrapping his strong arms around her.

It was a fact now, the beautiful **flowergirl **had somehow managed to steal the heart of a 1st Class SOLDIER. Not many people were able to pull that off.

Zack wouldn't want to have it any other way, though. She could have his heart, on one condition...

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**A/N: I hope you like it. Happy holidays! Reviews are more than appreciated!**


	7. Garden

**A/N: ****Enjoy! ;D**

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**G**. - **Garden**

There was one picture of her in his head that he could never forget (not that he wanted to, anyway); Aerith, sitting lonely, but peacefully in her little **garden **of flowers in the church, her eyes closed. Her pale skin seemed to glisten almost unnaturally in the moonlight that illuminated the deserted place, and her light blue dress that seemed to hug her body made her look even more pretty than normally (which meant a lot, considering this was Aerith he was talking about).

Some strands of hair that escaped the long braid, were hanging loosely around her delicate face. When she moved a little, they would bounce slightly up and down, probably tickling her in the process. Every now and then, she brushed them aside, but they returned to their place again, as though they were obsessed with her skin and wanted to touch it no matter what. This sight took his breath away and made him forget how to talk or even walk.

At that moment, Zack wished that he could be one of those curly strands of hair that carressed her face. It truly felt as if that was the first time he actually _saw_ Aerith, paid attention to all the little details that made her so beautiful. Zack came soon to the conclusion that Aerith was definitely, without a doubt, the most beautiful and rare flower in that garden.

He had stood there for some time, until Aerith had opened her eyes and turned around. She had smiled sweetly at him and that had broken Zack free from his trance.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	8. Hero

**A/N: ****Enjoy! ;D**

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**H.** - **Hero**

Aerith already knew that his biggest dream was to become a **hero**, known by everyone in the entire world.

They would all want to be exactly like him, act like him, look like him, walk like him, talk like him, all because he had done so many good things, too many to name them. He wouldn't necessarily be rich, (not that he cared for money, anyway) but he would sure as heck be very famous.

Little did he know that for her, he already was one (one with beautiful eyes and an adorable smile, by the way).

Zack had a lot of potential. Aerith could see it. That was why she believed that his dream would come true one day. That would be the same day where she would stand at his side as the only and most important girl in his life.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	9. Immature

**I. - Immature**

He had hear of a lot people that they thought he was **immature**. At times like these, Zack wondered if Aerith thought that, too. Well, even if she did so, she didn't say anything of it, or complain about it. But then again, This was Aerith they were talking about. That girl never complained about anything.

"Zack, what are you thinking of?" Aerith asked softly.

Her voice made him return to reality again.

"Oh, nothing, really," he quickly replied, smiling at her.


	10. Joy

**A/N: ****Enjoy! ;D**

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**J. - Joy**

When Zack walked into the church, his footsteps echoed through the small building. The only other living person, a young woman with a long brown braid, wearing a light dress, looked up to the expectator.

"So we meet again, Mademoiselle," Zack said, winking at her.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Aerith blushed slightly at this. Nobody had done this before.

"So it seems. My, my, what an _utterly_ pleasant surprise, Monsieur. However, I can't say that I mind it," Aerith said, making a small curtsey.

She had decided to play along this time, just to see where it would lead them. Zack handed her the flowers that had cost him all his money. They matched her dress perfectly. It made her smile exactly the way he had wanted to. Aerith noticed that the flowers smelled great. They were overpowering, but in a good way.

It wasn't a lie at all, though. Every time she saw him, she seemed to be filled of **joy**...and more**,** just like today. It was pretty much the same with him, only less noticeable.

What Aerith didn't know was that whenever she was so full of joy, her eyes started to shimmer like a thousand stars, and Zack got lost in them, like a lost and lonely sailor, trapped by the singing of a Siren.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	11. Kind

**K. - Kind**

Zack watched the pretty flowergirl, as she danced in the round, inspecting her beloved flowers. Even though there was no wind here, her dress and strands of hair moved slightly to and fro whenever she bent forward to touch and caress one of the petals gently with her fingertips.

She was the only one of her **kind**, whatever that could mean, that still was alive and he thought that that actually was a good thing, because now he wouldn't have any competition from any handsome guys from her kind.

Let's face it, not many people knew about her existence and it had to be kept that way for Zack to make any chance by an angel like her. Because what did he know? Maybe all the residents of her homeworld were at least as beautiful as her, female or not.

"Zack?"

Zack blinked a couple of times to get the remaining thoughts out of his head. He returned to reality, only to see Aeris standing very close to him, her head slightly tilted to the side. Curiosity was written in her eyes and Zack could read that. From this closeness, he could smell her flowery smell very well.

"Are you okay?" she asked, a little worried.

"Oh uh, yeah. Sure. I just spaced out a little," Zack replied, laughing rather sheepishly.

Aeris shook her head, smiling.

"You call that a little?" When Zack didn't reply she continued, "I guess that you didn't even hear my question then. That's too bad, because it involved both you and me."

The teasing manner in which she said that made Zack look up at her at once.

"What was your question?" he asked.

"I'll only tell you when...you catch me!"

Aeris pushed Zack out of the way and made a run to the other side of the church, gigling. This time, it was Zack's turn to shake his head.

"You ask a first class SOLDIER to come and catch you? You do realize that you don't make any chance escaping me, right?"

"I guess I'll have to take that chance."

Still smirking, he got to his feet and started to chase her all over the building. As expected, it didn't take him that long to catch her. He made her fall backwards, but he toppled over her, too. Aeris was trapped that way.

Looking her in the eyes, Zack whispered triumphantly, "Told you so," before leaning in to capture her lips with his in a sweet kiss.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	12. Letters

**L. - Letters**

It really had shocked him that she had written him 89 **letters **already. _Him_ of all people! That just had to mean _something_, right?

It wasn't exactly what you called a small amount, either. It wasn't that hard for Zack to realize that, because he had read them all by now.

89 letters... Just how long had it taken her to write all of them? How many sentences would that be in total? 12,500? Maybe even more. And how many words? He could see that there were eight words per line, sometimes even ten. Some of her letters were two pages long, others six. Now that he thought of it, Aeris had almost written a whole book for him, about him...about them.

However, what had shocked him even more, was when she stated that she wouldn't write him anymore.

Why not? Had she given up on them? That soon? On the other side, perhaps she thought that after 89 letters it was enough. That it wouldn't help anyone if Zack had given up already. Zack hadn't given up on them, though. It was just that there was so much more to do that he didn't have enough time to go see her. Deep in his heart he hoped she would understand this.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! Thanks for the favorites so far. :)**


	13. Monsters

**M.** **- Monsters**

"Zack, did you even hear what I said?" Aeris had asked not too long ago.

If Zack hadn't been that preoccupied with his own thoughts, he wouldn't have to explain things to her now.

"Zack, you know you can tell me everything, right?" Aeris said, softly, placing a hand on his arm. It was warm to the touch, but then again, it always was.

Zack looked up from the floor to her hand, and then to her face, still hesitating slightly if he should tell her or not.

Eventually, he told her that some people referred to SOLDIER as **monsters. **Genesis, Angeal, Sephiroth, they were all saying it. He wondered if she thought the same, but he didn't ask further. Zack didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid of her answer.

The truth was that she didn't know that much of those weird army people, but she was sure of one thing. Zack wasn't a monster, nor would he ever be one. It just couldn't. He was a _hero_ for crying out loud! Now, how in Gaia's name could a hero be a monster at the same time? It just didn't make sense.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. Reviews are more than appreciated! :)**


	14. Normal

**N.** **- Normal**

When they had first met, Zack had explained the pretty flowergirl who he actually was.

The young woman hadn't seemed to be that enthousiastic about his job. She had said in turn that SOLDIER weren't **normal**, because they liked fighting so much, all the friggin' time.

At first he had wondered why that would be so strange. After all, all the boys he knew from his hometown and had grown up with liked to fight. They probably still did, whether it was for some reason or not.

However, now, he thought she was completely right. He wasn't normal, at all. He was crazy... in love. With her.

Could one really blame him for that? Who wouldn't fall in love with someone like her?

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! :)**


	15. Ongoing

**O.**** - Ongoing**

There were many, many mysteries in life, like why on earth some things happened the way they happened. Why couldn't some things end differently? They were countless. As of lately, one couldn't be too sure about how things would work out in general, because nothing was what it seemed. Some things were just bound to have an alternate ending, not the one you had in mind.

There was one thing Zack was sure of, though. He would even swear it if he had to. It involved both him and Aerith.

He knew that their love for each other was **ongoing**, no matter what would happen**. **Simple things and trivial matters such as death could not change it, maybe only delay it.

That was what true love was all about, right? It was written in the books, so it had to be true. Of course, Zack had never hoped that such a thing would happen.

When he was about to die, he was scared, even though he didn't show it. It hurt a hell of a lot, too. The only thing that eased his pain, was the fact that he knew he would meet Aerith soon. She would go to heaven whenever it would be her time. So would he, because he had tried to be a hero. Perhaps he had even succeeded and his fame would be almost as much ongoing as his love for the beautiful angel.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! :)**


	16. Protected

**P.** -** Protected**

"Don't worry, Aerith. You're safe enough as long as you're with him," Zack whispered, before leaving, so she would be the only one who heard him.

The most important thing for him was that she, his angel, would be **protected **against any harm. He cared more for Aerith's safety than his own. He knew exactly who he should ask for this job too, even though he preferred to be her knight. Zack had no other choice, though.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! :)**


	17. Quote

**Q.** - **Quotes**

Zack blinked a couple of times. He was still looking dumbfoundedly at her, wondering if she had just said what he thought she did. Aerith only smiled coyly at him, though, putting her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly to the side. She did look adorable this way, probably more than she realized and was good for her.

"What?" she asked quasi-innocently, knowing very well that she had won already, again.

She had him exactly where she wanted and they both realized that. He sighed, wearily. Aerith raised an eyebrow in turn, still looking at him rather expectantly.

Zack then admitted, feeling defeated, "Okay, you're right I guess."

Aerith smiled, sweetly.

Zack had noticed that she seemed to like using his own **quotes **against him. She was pretty good at it, too good even.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! :)**


	18. Reminded

**R. - Reminded**

The raven-haired SOLDIER run a hand through his rather messy hair.

"Now where is it? I'm pretty sure I put it _right_ here the other day," Zack mumbled irritably under his breath, while searching in his pockets like a madman.

If he didn't find it soon, he would start to panic, and that was always a bad thing.

He still had kept the letter that **reminded **him of what she wanted the most. He read it at least three times a day, because that way he felt closer to Aerith. He hated not seeing her. Zack read the letter yesterday too. So it just had to be here somewhere, in one of his pockets.

Just when he was about to give up and yell a string of four-lettering words in an attempt to ease his frustration, a gentle wind started to blow. He turned around when he heard some rustling behind him. Right then, the wind blew something white right in his face. Zack was able to take a hold of it before it flew away. It was a piece of paper and on it was written in a neat handwriting...

"Aerith's list!" Zack exclaimed, happier than ever. "Unbelievable!"

He truly couldn't believe his luck. Zack read it over once again before tucking it gently in his pocket, near his heart. He would be more careful with it this time. Zack would watch over it with his life if he had to.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it! :)**


	19. SOLDIER

**S.** -** SOLDIER**

Zack had suddenly decided to visit Aerith again, because he really missed her now that he hadn't seen her for quite some time. He didn't know how serious she thought it was between them, but for Zack it was serious, a lot. That was mainly why he never minded doing anything for her, as long as she could be with him, and they could be just happy.

Today seemed to be one of those days where both of them didn't really want to do anything active, but just sit and chat, or something. Zack was leaning against one of the cool walls, inside the small church.

At first, Aerith had sat opposite of him, so she could still look at him when she talked to him. A few minutes ago, though, she had chosen to sit next to him instead and and lean against the same wall. That way, she could give him sidelong glances whenever she wanted to.

Now, however, Aerith was leaning against him. She had put her head on his shoulder, something Zack had quietly cheered about. How could he not mind the fact that she was so close to him? He could even smell her shampoo if he turned his head a little. She smelled of flowers, which wasn't a surprise.

"You don't mind if I...?" she asked, breaking the sudden silence that had formed.

She turned her head so she could look at him.

"No, no, not at all. I'm completely fine with it," Zack assured her, grinning a little.

His gloved hand went to the back of his head. Aerith smiled.

"Okay."

Aerith started fiddling with the folds of her dress. It still marveled Zack that her dress never seemed to get dirty with soil, or something. The SOLDIER wondered if she was waiting for him to say something or not. Why didn't they get tips about things like this in their training?

"Don't you ever feel cold here?" Zack asked, eyeing her dress.

It wasn't really made of warm material, so he wouldn't be too surprised if she had some spare clothes, or a blanket or something over here.

"No, not really. Actually, I think it's a nice temperature. Not too cold and not too warm. Just...nice. And as you can see, it's good for the flowers too."

Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she was another kind of human. Perhaps she could never feel cold. Zack frowned at that, not being able to imagine how exactly that would feel.

"I see."

He didn't know what else to say, but luckily, Aerith decided to ask him something now, "Do _you_ feel cold now?"

"No, I was just wondering," he replied.

It wasn't a lie; thanks to her body being slightly pressed to his, he was warm enough.

"Hmm..." was the only thing she said, before shifting slightly.

After that, it felt as if it was a bit warmer, thanks to Aerith's own bodywarmth.

"So uh, what do you think of..." He tried to come up with something good for a change. "SOLDIER? In general, I mean."

It took her a little longer to reply this time. She had closed her eyes too, but Zack wasn't sure if that was because she could think better that way or more because she liked using his shoulder as a pillow. He was actually hoping for the latter, although he didn't tell her that.

"Hmm...well, **SOLDIER **are really strange if you ask me, but I think that suits you perfectly," she whispered, still not opening her eyes.

He didn't say anything in response, but gathered enough courage to brush a bit of her hair out of her beautiful green eyes. He noticed how she blushed lightly and smiled at the same time. Zack couldn't help but smirk a little at that.

It was truly marvelous that a simple touch like that, almost as light as a feather, could do such a thing to her. What he didn't know, was that every touch of him set her on fire. The impact on her was bigger than he would ever know, but Aerith wouldn't want to have it any other way.

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**A/N: This one's slightly longer than the rest. Hope you liked it. I would really appreciate a review. :)**


	20. Time

**T.** - **Time**

"All I want is to spend more **time** with you."

That one sentence kept repeating itself over and over in his head, because it meant that she thought he was more important than the list she had made. Right that moment, an image of the pretty flowergirl appeared in front of his eyes.

Zack could still remember how that sentence had made his heart beat at least twice as fast. It still did when he thought about that moment. Too bad that he was never going to see her again. At least he could call himself a hero now, right?

The dying SOLDIER wasn't too sure, though, so he decided to ask Cloud about it. Cloud would know the answer. However, Cloud didn't answer. Perhaps because he couldn't talk, or maybe because he hadn't heard him. After all, what he had said had barely been a whisper. Was it just him or did Cloud look really pale at the moment?

Zack's vision started to change. Everything became a blur. Cloud too. Every part, every inch of his body hurt like hell. Yet he didn't regret his decision. Then everything turned black around him and he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. :)**


	21. Unopened

**U. - Unopened**

Suddenly, another rather random thought popped into Zack's head, as he lay there on the dirty ground and life was slowly _seeping_ out of him.

88 **unopened **letters, all coming from Aerith. All written by her. Her neat handwriting didn't lie. It had become quite a thick bundle by now. Zack had put them in the same bag he had brought with him, so they were all safe. All the letters were still unopened, though, simply because Zack had not had the time to read them yet.

The worst thing of all was that he would probably never be able to open them...ever, and there wasn't one thing he could do about that. Not now that he was lying in the battlefield, bleeding to death, faster than he wanted.

Zack knew he was dieing. It wasn't that hard to notice. After all, who could survive hundreds of bullets? It felt like there were more, because the pain just wouldn't _stop_, but he knew that one couldn't think realistic when one was shot like an animal...and still had hundreds of bullets in ones body. Okay, maybe only fifty...but it still hurt so much that he was sure he would never want this to happen to any of his enemies.

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**A/N: Hmm...why am I writing about Zack's death all the time? I guess it must've really impressed me. Well, hope you still liked it. :)**


	22. Vacant

**V.** **- Vacant**

"Oh, I'm sorry. I...didn't know you were still sleeping," Zack said, when he realized that he just woke her up from her sleep.

How could he be so stupid? It was eight O'clock after all. Normal people, and people who weren't SOLDIER were still asleep during this time of the day.

"I guess I'll come back later then."

He turned around to leave, but Aerith seemed to have other plans. She quickly got up and took a hold of his hand so he wouldn't escape. Her night gown was white and had pink cherries on them. Her long, light brown and curly hair cascaded down her shoulders like a pool of silky soft chocolate milk. She caught and held his gaze with her striking emerals eyes. It made her look more like an angel than ever.

"No, no. It's okay. Please stay. I'll put this away and then we can have breakfast together, even though you probably have had breakfast already," Aerith said, smiling sweetly.

Zack gulped. When he found out that his vocal cords didn't work, he just nodded. Aerith smiled again, before suppressing a yawn. Zack watched her put her pillow and blanket away, as he pondered about something he had noticed.

She even seemed to live in that **vacant **church, all alone, because she was always here whenever he decided to come here. He had seen that Aerith even had food, blankets and pillows in stock. Why in Gaia's name she had chosen such an old and cold building over a soft, warm bed and a nice home, was a mystery for Zack. He would've chosen differently.

On the other hand, her move was a little logical, too, even if it was just _a little bit_. Zack knew how much she liked clean and quiet places. This vacant church was the epitome of silence and cleanliness, but that silence had something pure as well. It put your mind at rest. It made you feel at ease, at home, maybe even happy. Well, Zack really was happy whenever he had enough time to come here. Of course, it wasn't the clean church that made him feel that way, but more the girl who lived inside of it.

He actually didn't really mind the fact that it was so deserted, though, because at least he was sure that nobody would suddenly walk in on them when they needed privacy for some reason. Nobody ever came here, except for him. Zack was sure of that, because he had asked Aerith about it before. This meant that he had no competition, which was a good thing.

However, he knew how it felt to be all alone and that made him feel bad for her. He was probably the only one who came and visited her sometimes. Maybe he should visit her more often, so whe wouldn't feel so alone anymore.

"Zack?" Aerith said softly.

Zack swiftly blinked at that.

"Huh?"

"You had a strange expression on your face. Are you okay?" she asked, sounding pretty worried.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine," he quickly replied. "So, what's on the schedule today?"

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. :)**


	23. Wings

**W. - Wings**

At the sound of heavy boots echoing through the room, Aerith looked up to the entrance of the small and vacant church.

"Hey, Zack," Aerith greeted him cheerfully, as he walked into the church, towards her. "It's good to see you."

She got up from where she was sitting.

"Hi. It's good to be here," he replied.

As always, Zack's heart fluttered from happiness and started beating twice as fast when he saw Aerith again, after such a long time.

He still remembered that he had thought that she was an angel at first, fallen from heaven and lost on her way back home. That was what _his_ fall from the ceiling had done to him. The question why this angel didn't have any **wings** like all angels did, was answered rather quickly after that, too, thank heavens _before_ he had opened his mouth to ask this angel. Thank heavens, angel...haha.

Now that Zack thought of it, he should have known that it was too good to be true. Oh, how much he hated it whenever he was just seeing things... However, this flowergirl was probably even prettier than an average angel, wings or no wings. So perhaps it was a little stupid of him to mistake her for an angel.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it. :)**


	24. X shaped

******A/N: Only three chapters to go. I have truly no idea where this came from. Enjoy. ;)**

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******X.** - X-shaped

To be honest, Zack was pretty nervous (read: was nearly having a mental breakdown) about facing her after, uh, that little _incident _he had been involved with. (He always was the lucky guy when it came to things like that.) After all, he wasn't that innocent-looking anymore and he the stupid scar didn't really make him more handsome. Perhaps he would scare her away, or something. Besides, she had never been that enthousiastic about SOLDIER, although she always treated him with respect.

However, with one simple move that took his breath away completely, she proved to him that his worries had been all for nothing.

Because even when he got that (according to him the epitome of ugly with a capital "U") **X-shaped** scar on his face, she thought he was very handsome. Moreover, it made him look a little mysterious and she liked that.

In fact, the first thing she did when she had seen the new scar, was running a pale, slender finger slowly and ever so lightly over that certain spot. It had tickled a little and at once, it had given him goosebumps everywhere.

"You know, you have a nice skin," she mused.

Zack's brows shot up in surprise and the corners of his mouth turned upwards as well, but he quickly tried to suppress the forming smile. It would probably look stupid, anyway. This didn't go unnoticed by Aerith, but she didn't say anything about it.

"...Thanks. So uhm, what exactly are you doing?" he asked, not daring to move too much, because then she just might stop doing...whatever she was doing and that was the last thing he wanted to happen now.

Aerith didn't reply immediately. Her eyes were following the movements she made with her index finger, intently.

"I'm trying to memorize my favorite parts of your face, which is, now that I think of it, almost every part. I mean, who knows how long it might take for you to come and visit me again," she said, half-jokingly. "You don't mind, do you?"

Zack smiled at that. Aerith was a special person. She always knew what to do to make you feel happy again, whether it was with a smile, or with something she said.

"Not at all," he replied, while wondering if this was something people used to do in her home world.

He couldn't say it bothered him.

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**A/N: I hope you liked it, and that you're not having a WTH?-look when you're reading this. XP**


	25. Years

**A/N: Hmm, I noticed that my last drabbles are slightly longer than most of them. I guess my inspiration has come back again, so I'm not complaining.**

**Special thanks to xxcrossbonezxx, for your awesome review. :)**

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**Y. - Years**

The air was cloudless and had never been as blue as today before, and it smelled like fresh grass and sweet apples. Actually, it always did here. That was because of the huge tree that was once planted here. Angeal had been right about one thing. It really had the most delicious apples in them.

Zack was sitting on the soft grass, his eyes closed. He just enjoyed sitting there and doing nothing for a change. He couldn't even remember the last time he hadn't done nothing but sit and enjoy the weather. It had probably been with _her_, anyway.

The singing of the birds made him a little drowsy and lazy. He was still awake, though, too busy with thinking of that one person who seemed to cross his mind a lot lately. Aerith Gainsborough, the woman he had mistaken for an angel when they had met for the very first time. It was probably because he hadn't seen her for quite some time. He was actually really missing her.

Zack sighed, wearily. He hadn't seen her for...how long again?

"Let's see," he muttered, as he desperately tried to remember it.

Zack's mind seemed to work ultra slow today. It even seemed that it didn't want to remember how long he hadn't seen her. He lazily opened his eyes and scratched the back of his head, but stopped doing so as soon as he realized something.

Wait, was it really for four **years **already? What had he been doing during all those years that he didn't even realize this? Four friggin' years! You could easily call that an eternity, so it just had to change, and soon!

He wouldn't mind changing it now, but unfortunately, first things were first, as always. He hated choosing between his job and a girl, but he had no other choice. He wouldn't stay here for long, because he still had more work to do.

He just hoped he wouldn't be too late. What if she already had found another guy? One who wasn't a SOLDIER, and a monster? What if he would never see her again?

He shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the negative thoughts. This was going nowhere. He shouldn't go down that road again. What was he thinking? Aerith just wasn't like that and it certainly wouldn't help to think such stupid thoughts of never being able to see her again. Like he would suddenly die, or something. He wasn't even 30 years old yet. He was far too young to die!

Besides, he knew very well how to defend himself by now. Angeal had learned him all kinds of tricks and other stuff. There was no enemy that could kill him that easily...unless they would attack with one billion and something people. It was probably the smell of the air and the singing of those birds that made him think of weird things.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it, even when I used dramatic irony in this chapter. Only one chapter to go. :)**


	26. Zack

**Z.** **- Zack**

The sun was shining brightly, after it had rained for about a week or so. The sunrays created beautiful colors on the floor of the church, thanks to the stained glass windows. It was the time between spring and summer, when it was too warm to call it just spring, but a gentle breeze ensured some coolness every now and then.

Zack was lying on the floor, while Aerith was sitting next to him, leaning against the wall and looking at him. She couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked, or how slow and steady his breathing was. It made her wonder how his heartbeat would sound.

They were both silent, listening to the cheerful singing of the different birds, but Zack's eyes were closed as opposed to Aerith's, who were too busy with looking at Zack to notice anything else.

"**Zack...?" **she repeated mystically, for what appeared to be the third time in only one minute.

Of course, he had heard her very well, just like the other two times, but he still didn't open his eyes or acknowlegde that he had heard her. It was just that he liked the way she said his name. He liked it so much that he wanted her to say it over and over and over again. That was the only reason why he acted like he was still asleep. It sounded so soothing and carefully, almost as if an angel was calling him by his name. He smiled at that thought, recalling the first time they had met...

"Hey!"

She punched him playfully on the arm, but it was hard enough for Zack to open his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, eyeing her rather innocently.

"Didn't think I would see you smiling, huh? You were awake all this time, weren't you?"

Zack didn't reply, but his smile widened instantly. That said enough to Aerith.

Eventually, he decided to reply with, "...Maybe."

"Meanie. What if I suddenly needed your help? What if someone was trying to, I don't know, kill me, or something?" she huffed, quasi mad.

Zack used his arms to sit up again and lean slightly toward Aerith. If she was surprised at the sudden closeness, then she was very good at hiding it. Zack gently tilted her chin with his index finger, so she was looking him in the eyes.

"Are you really worried about that? Do you really think I would let them leave with you as their hostage_ that _easily? They have to go through me first." When she didn't reply, but only kept looking at him in a way that gave him goosebumps, he continued, speaking even softer now, "Hey, whoever dares to even glare at you from ten miles away will be sliced in half by me. It's a promise. Don't you ever forget that."

Aerith blinked, but then she nodded. The fact that her cheeks had turned red didn't go unnoticed by Zack, but he didn't comment on it. Suddenly, without saying anything, she threw herself at his neck and hugged him tightly. Zack hesitated slightly, wondering what had made her do this. Then, he returned the warm embrace.

"Thanks." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Anytime."

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**A/N: Thanks for reading this! =) Hope you've enjoyed it. ^_^ This is my favorite FF-game (I never finished it, but thank heavens we can count on Youtube these days. ;) The ending was so sad, it made me almost cry (which means a lot, 'cause I hardly ever cry). T_T I'm so glad he'll make an appearance in the next Kingdom Hearts game, but then as a younger Zack. ****:D**

**So which one was your favorite? Reviews are highly appreciated! :)**

**REVIEW SHOUT-OUT: Tarutaru Terror, ireneotaku, rainechan4ever, XxX-SparklingEyes-XxX, TonberryBlue, Sairento-shi, Victoria Valentine101, Anais.P, and last, but certainly not least, xxcrossbonexx**


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